By Michael Letendre

We’re here, it’s Week 1 of the scholastic football season and it’s going to be a hot one.

And that meant it was too hot to play ball on Friday as games were postponed.

However, the Rams and Lancers simply deferred the pleasures to Saturday.

The first game is never an easy one and both Central and Eastern better be prepared for the fifty flags the officials are going to throw over the opening contests.

On Saturday, Rams are on the road to start the campaign while the Lancers will be home at Alumni Field.

Central travels to Windsor for a Tier II showdown while Eastern squares off against Farmington in Tier III action.

Two different opponents, two huge openers and it should be a fun weekend as our local teams finally get involved in regular season play.

Let’s take a sneak peek at what to expect on Saturday:

Bristol Central at Windsor

Time: 7 p.m. (Jack O’Brien Stadium, Windsor)

The Game: The battle is the 20th all-time showdown between the two CCC schools.

The Series: Windsor leads the all-time series 15-4.

Last Season: Last season, on October 7, Central fell to Windsor 49-0 from the campus of BCHS. Tre Blair roped up 43 yards on the ground while Johnny Rios made seven carries for 36 yards.

Game Facts against Windsor: What a tough match-up for Central to start the campaign with…The Warriors are always big, fast and eager to score…Though Windsor might not be a top-10 team to start the season, they sure look like one. “I saw the top ten poll…and Windsor’s not on it,” said Central coach Jeff Papazian – noting that the team is extremely good despite the lack of ranking…One player to watch out for is junior Cashmere Lewis, a talented defensive back who is a NCAA Division I prospect. He’ll chase down everyone on the field…Sophomore quarterback AJ Robinson threw for 1,300 yards last season which included 17 touchdowns. Central needs to get to him quickly…Central QB Jack Hartley is going to be hounded and harassed all game long but the warrior has the speed to dig himself out of any tough spot…This will be an epic challenge for Central but if the squad can put together a four-quarter effort in against Windsor, win or lose, it’s going to be a big building block for the program moving forward.

Farmington at Bristol Eastern

Time: 10 a.m. (Alumni Field on the campus BEHS)

The Game: The battle is the 12th between the programs with several of those showdowns coming over the past six years or so.

The Series: Eastern trails 7-4 in the all-time series but the Lancers have won the last two showdowns. 

Last Season: The Kingstreeters held on to foil Farmington 27-24 in a huge victory back on November 12.

Facts: After starting last season 0-5, Eastern ended the year on a 3-2 spur and hope to ride that wave of momentum into 2023 with another showdown against the River Hawks…Defensive stops halted Farmington on several drives last year as Adam Zavecz, playing his best defensive game of the campaign, made two interceptions while back Jaiden Fore went for 125 yards on 23 carries (three touchdowns)…Hunter Wells and Zion Otero each tallied 3.5 tackles over that victory to keep Farmington off the board during critical stretches…It’s going to be good to see quarterback Kamden Laprise back on the gridiron, knocked out of action against Platt last season via injury. In his opening game in 2022, Laprise went 7-of-15 for 122 yards and a touchdown in the 23-20 loss to RHAM…This could be a very good opener for the Lancers if the squad stays disciplined and focused…“Every year, the goal is always the same,” said Eastern coach Anthony Julius. “We talk about how we can’t win all of them if you can’t win the first one. It goes back to a one game at a time mentality.”